49ers roster: 5 players whose stock is plummeting rapidly

No. 2: 49ers Cornerback Ambry Thomas

Sticking with the cornerback theme here, one of the year’s bigger disappointments is 49ers rookie Ambry Thomas, who was expected to at least contribute decently after the team used a third-round NFL Draft pick on him last spring.

Thomas, who opted out of his 2020 campaign at Michigan, was given every opportunity to seize a starting job alongside now-injured veteran Jason Verrett during training camp, then again during the preseason.

But Thomas struggled, both in camp and during the preseason, and his lackluster efforts were magnified when he came in relief for Verrett back in Week 1 when the latter suffered a torn ACL, eventually leading to Thomas being inactive for the two subsequent weeks since.

Granted, it’s early. Too soon to relegate Thomas to the ranks of the “bust” category. Yet the fact Thomas has been entirely outplayed by his fellow rookie cornerback, Deommodore Lenoir, speaks volumes about the former’s development.

Tack on the fact the Niners have continuously sought free-agent options in the wake of further injury attrition at the position, and the future is starting to look awfully bleak for the first-year corner.